Surprising Minnesota City Named Among Nation’s Most Dangerous

When you think of northern Minnesota, tall trees and acres of lakes come to mind. Perhaps the last thing you think of is high crime rates. But there's one small city in Minnesota that's considered among the 30 most dangerous in America!

Bemidji, Minnesota, is a town of a little more than 13,000 people, situated in northern Minnesota, between Duluth and Grand Forks, North Dakota. You probably know it for the giant statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. The town is home to Bemidji State University and surrounded by beautiful state parks. But it turns out that Bemidji also has a dangerous side.

The town was recently named as the 28th "Most Dangerous City" in America in a study by home security and safety advice website Safewise. The study used FBI reports regarding both violent and property-related crime to come up with its rankings. According to the study, Bemidji has a violent crime rate of nearly four people per thousand and a property crime rate of just more than 88 per thousand. While the violent crime rate is actually the lowest among the 30 cities listed in the study, Bemidji's property crime rate is among the highest. The study also defined a city as anyplace having a population of more than 10,000 people.

As for the city named the "Most Dangerous" on the list? Well, that dubious distinction goes to Emeryville, California. Makes you kind of glad you don't live there, doesn't it?